Pop culture has turned into homework, not entertainment. And the cycle is tiring as hell, because there is precious little space between urgency and old news. It is the transformation of your entertainment into a shroud of obligation and guilt that is constantly pulling at you, because what’s discussed today is rarely treated as relevant tomorrow. Binge culture is an increasing backlog of 100-hour games that you may play for a dozen hours each. Binge culture is sprinting through a 10-hour season within a couple days so you still have time to discuss it with your friends. What is binge culture? Binge culture is watching the latest Marvel movie on opening night so you aren’t flooded with spoilers in the morning. They’re calling it “Founders Edition,” and it’s the latest in a series of moves from creators and corporations to address the binge culture trivializing their releases in the modern media landscape. The key surprise here is not just that EA continues to pump money into the idiosyncratic all-ages shooter franchise (which I love), but the method the publisher is using to release this game into the world.
Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville introduces four full PvE campaigns across three open-world hubs filled with quests, collectibles, and secrets, alongside a slate of multiplayer modes and freeform social areas. After a mere 24-hour countdown, Electronic Arts launched a massive new entry to their Garden Warfare series.